Jaime Restrepo Cuartas [es], director of the Administrative Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Colciencias, resigned [es] late June to his post. Mr Restrepo, former president of the University of Antioquia and representative to the House (2006-2010), was one of the sponsors of the law 1286 of 2009 [es], which promoted Colciencias from a section of the National Planning Department (DNP) to an administrative department (a “quasi-Ministry”) and issued a new policy for ST&I (Science, Technology, and Innovation).

Colciencias was created [es] in 1968 as a fund for science research within the Ministry of Education. In 1991 it became [es] an institute for science and technology part of the DNP. Mr Restrepo's resignation has raised concern among the scientific community about the future of Colciencias (the main source of funding for most Colombian scientists) and the future of research in general in the country.

In [es] several [es] interviews [es], Restrepo has stated that there is “no real support” from the administration of president Juan Manuel Santos for Colciencias and that inconsistencies exist between the goals aimed by the government and the financial resources allocated by the Finance Ministry, which would cut Colciencias’ budget for 2013 (in fact, Restrepo said [es] that the finance minister has not given an appointment to him in four months). Colciencias’ staff has been frozen since the mid-1990s [es] but, since research groups have multiplied several times, the staff is overwhelmed.

In fact, the incident between Colciencias and the Finance [Ministry] reveals the style and the way of being rich in Colombia: legally, through land accumulation, extensive stockbreeding and intense and ruthless extraction of raw materials, which eventually, will lead us to misery; and illegally, through drug trafficking and the business of war, which shelters in the darkest and most criminal [places] of human mind, when the conditions of those representing legality don't build the wide avenues of the possibilities of wealth, development and welfare which a nation with complete scientific development can lead.

Shortly after Restrepo's resignation, there were rumours [es] claiming that Luis Pérez Gutiérrez, a controversial former mayor of Medellín, had been offered to replace him. Some researchers published a letter to President Santos [es] expressing their concern and asking him for political will to strengthen Colciencias. Around 1,500 academics signed it [es]. Another three letters [es] have been sent to the President.

Santiago Giraldo is also worried about the future of Colciencias and adds [es]:

You could arguably say that Colciencias exists in Colombia because it would be embarrassing, even ridiculous, to not have such an institution as those in other countries in South America or the developed world, not because [the government] actually wants research in science and technology.

6. Now it turns out that Bancoldex [a Colombian state bank focused on external trade] is the most appropriate entity to manage the innovation process. This is evidence of absolute ignorance about what a ST&I system should be, that's why there are three initials, innovation without science and technology doesn't exist.
If there's no money to research on basic or applied science, or implementation, appropriation of all kinds of technology, with which foundation do they intend to innovate with? This cuts the ST&I system its hands.